Zanzibar, South Africa

It feels like it's been a really long time since I've updated the blog. We have been really busy and haven't had much time to sit down and think about the past when everyday is so new and exciting. But here is a little about Zanzibar......

We arrived in Stone town, which is the main town on the island of Zanzibar. I love islands and I ocean and the heat, so it was great to be there.

We had a hotel booked on the north end of the island in an area called Nungwi. The north end is the most popular end of Zanzibar and thus it is also the most expensive. We chose to stay in this area because Colton and Miranda were finishing up their PADI scuba diving certification. 

We spent most days scuba diving and trying to stay cool. It was typically around 35 degrees every day and very calm. That's great when you are near water and can go cool off. Our nights were not great. The little hotel that were stayed at was a bit of a dive. It was the most reasonably priced hotel in Nungwi and it showed. The great part of the hotel was the amazing breakfast every morning. We each got a big plate of fresh fruit. Watermelon, pineapple, banana, mango and papaya. Then we also got fresh mango/avacado juice and fried eggs and bread. The bad part of the hotel was that it did not have AC and the room stayed at 31 degrees all night long. We spent most nights trying to sleep and waiting for morning. One morning Dan and I got up at 6 and went down to cool off in the ocean. We should have done that every morning.

Colton and Miranda completed their scuba certification with an amazing 2 tank dive at Mnemba Island. It is a beautiful island owned by Bill Gates. It is surrounded by a protected coral reef that is filled with so many big and small fish of every kind and really healthy hard and soft coral. 

Our last day, we went to Stone town so we would be closer to the airport for our early departure. We heard many great things about Stone Town. But unfortunately we didn't have a great experience there. It felt dirty and not the safest and we really are not all that interested in being in cities. So Dean and I walked around old town in the afternoon to see some of the historical sites,and  we picked up takeout for Colton and Miranda, who chose to stay in the air conditioned room and veg. for the day and evening. It had been a go go last 2 weeks, so it was nice to have a slow day for a change.

I will add pictures of Zanzibar when we have better internet in S Africa